Please welcome back Frank Indiviglio to That Fish Blog. Frank gives his unique perspective on another interesting, sometimes aquarium inhabitant, the crayfish.

Freshwater crayfish, found on all continents except Africa and Antarctica (the southeastern United States, home to 80% of the world’s species, is a hotspot of crayfish diversity), are often purchased as an “oddity” or scavenger to add to the aquarium. However, these active Crustaceans make fascinating pets in their own right and are well worth more attention. I will write more about the specifics of crayfish care in future articles, but would now like to recount my experience with the maternal instincts of one species, the red swamp crayfish, Procambarus clarkii.

It is difficult to house crayfish in groups, as they tend to consume tank-mates that have recently molted (newly-molted crayfish are soft and defenseless). I was, therefore, fortunate in having the opportunity to observe a female with her young in an aquarium. I came across her while she was traveling overland (they do this on occasion) between ponds at the Prospect Park Zoo in NYC. In typical crayfish fashion, several dozen young clung to the swimmerets (feathery organs) on her underside. (Note: the red swamp crayfish is native to the southeastern USA but widely introduced elsewhere. Non-native crayfish cause serious problems in many parts of the world – please do not release unwanted pet crayfish).

Established in a 5 gallon aquarium, the female soon became quite bold and allowed me a peek at her version of maternal care. Any disturbance caused her to rear up, claws extended towards the threat – she definitely seemed more aggressive than crayfish I had kept in the past. The young remained on the swimmerets for over two weeks and then began making short feeding forays on their own but, to my surprise, returned unerringly to their mother after eating. At this point they also began to scamper about the rest of her body, sometimes covering most of her head from view. Knowing of this creature’s pugnacious disposition, I wondered when her “patience” would reach its limit. That limit came after about three weeks, when she promptly began devouring the prodigy she had so carefully nurtured until then. The survivors took refuge in the hiding spots (cracked clay flower pots) that I had provided for them, after which I moved the group to a larger aquarium.

A number of crayfish species are readily available and do well in aquariums. Particularly interesting are stream-dwelling forms, such as the red-tip crayfish, Orconectes erichsonianus, which seem determined to re-arrange every stone in their tank in an effort to establish the perfect home. Others you might consider are the P. alleni, a blue strain of which has been developed for the pet trade, dwarf species such as O. compressus, and the bright blue Australian yabbie, Cherax quadricarinatus.

I’ll write again soon and highlight other species. Until then, I’d appreciate hearing about your own experiences.

A good deal of interesting information, including a key to help you identify the crayfish you may come across, is sponsored by the Carnegie Museum of Natural History:
www.iz.carnegiemnh.org/crayfish/Keys/index2.htm

I’d like to welcome Frank Indiviglio back to That Fish Blog for another interesting post. Although they’re amphibians, we’ve seen so much of the African Clawed Frog in the aquarium trade, I thought this was appropriate here. Enjoy!

I’ve always been interested in the process by which a species becomes established as a pet. Interesting stories abound, none more so, perhaps, than that of the African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis. Hailing from southern Africa, female clawed frogs were (somehow!) found to possess an unusual trait – exposure to a pregnant woman’s urine causes the immediate release of the frog’s eggs! Dwelling in a harsh habitat, females must be ready to breed on short notice, and nearly always have eggs ready to be fertilized. This, combined with the ease of maintaining them in the lab, soon led to their widespread use in the Hogben Pregnancy Test.

Millions of these frogs were imported to the US in the 1940’s, with many finding their way into the pet trade. Unfortunately, they also made it into local waterways, and today are well established in several states, including Texas, California and Arizona. Ravenous predators, clawed frogs have been implicated in the declines of a number of invertebrate, amphibian and fish species. Recent research also indicates that this species may responsible for starting the worldwide Chitridiomycosis fungal epidemic that is threatening scores of amphibian species.

Feral populations of African clawed frogs are also to be found in Mexico, Chile, France, Italy, Java, Japan, Indonesia, Great Britain, the Ascension Islands and elsewhere. Despite the species’ origins in warm fresh water, one population has adjusted to life in the underground wells of a castle in England, where the water rarely tops 50F, while another group thrives in brackish ponds (they tolerate 40% seawater) in Orange County, California.

These tongue-less, claw-bearing, aquatic frogs make fascinating pets (they are, however, illegal to own in some states). One kept by my frog-enthusiast mother attained 21 years of age, and the published longevity record is 30 years. Unlike most frogs, they will accept non-living food, and thrive upon Reptomin food sticks and frozen fish foods. I’ll discuss the care of clawed frogs and their relatives, African dwarf frogs, Hymenochirus spp. and Surinam toads, Pipa spp., in a future article. Until then, please write in with your questions and observations. Thank you. Until next time, Frank.

Today we have a new guest blogger on That Fish Blog, Brandon Moyer. Brandon has worked in the fish room here at That Fish Place for the last couple of years, he is a Marine Biology student at Millersville University, and an aquarium hobbyist. Brandon wrote this blog to share his experiences with a recent aquarium that he started.

Welcome Brandon.

Species Profile: Pelvicachromis taeniatus “Moliwe”

General Information

Pelvicachromis taeniatus is a smaller, more colorful cousin of the popular P. pulcher, or Kribensis as they are commonly named. They are found in rivers throughout West Africa where the water is soft and slightly acidic. There are several variants of the species which differ in coloration. Each variant is named for the area they are found in the wild.

The “Moliwe” is named for the village in Cameroon, Africa, where the variant is most commonly collected. The Moliwe females are very striking. They have an orange-gold dorsal fin, bright purple stomach, and a yellow face with a blue edge to the gills and around the eyes. Males, which grow larger than females, have a dark cross-hatch pattern on their sides, blue eyes, and a mix of reds and yellows in their dorsal, anal, and caudal fin. This is a general description of their color, which may change as a result of Age, mood or environmental conditions. As a pair they draw a lot of attention within the tank.

I began setting up the tank with Eco Complete Planted Aquarium Substrate and a few plants including Sagittaria platyphyllia and Cryptocoryne petchii for cover. I also added a small hiding cave usually used for reptiles, but figured that it would be a good breeding area as Pelvicachromis species are cave-brooders. After the tank cycled with the help of some ghost shrimp, I added my pair of Moliwes. They acclimated well but were very shy. After adding a few zebra danios as dither fish, my Moliwes became more active and began to explore their new home. They spend most of their day close to the bottom of the aquarium digging in the substrate looking for food. Regular water changes and filter maintenance will ensure good water quality.
Taeniatus will take a variety of food, but to help ensure vivid colors and good health try to feed them with a mix of frozen and dry foods. I feed my Moliwes Boyd’s Vita Diet, Prime Reef flakes, and several types of frozen foods including spirulina enriched brine shrimp. A variety of food will ensure that they receive a complete, nutritious diet which will reward you with healthy, happy fish. Carotenoid pigments in their food will help bring out the fishes red colors and spirulina and other algae will bring out blue.

One day I noticed that the entrance to my Moliwe’s cave was barricaded with substrate. The female managed to squeeze out the only hole remaining in the entrance, and the male was preoccupied with keeping the danios in the top half of the tank. After a few days I spotted fish fry within the cave. Much like their cousins the kribensis, taeniatus will breed fairly readily. The usually calm parents will become territorial as they guard over their offspring, making close attention to the well-being of the other fish within the aquarium necessary. Days later the fry began to leave the shelter of their cave behind. Led by their mother and father they began to explore the tank looking for food. The fry will eat prepared foods given it is the appropriate size. I crushed flake and pellet food into a fine powder that the fry readily ate once it reached the bottom of the tank. My first spawn did not last: I assume the danios picked them off one by one, so if you are trying to raise the fry, choose dither fish carefully.

Thanks Brandon, those are really great little fish, I hope you have inspired someone to give them a try!

I’d like to welcome Jose Mendes to That Fish Blog. Jose is our resident Cichlid Pro. In addition to working at TFP for 13 years, he’s been breeding Cichlids for over 14 years and has produced over 200 different species. Check out Jose’s article below on setting up a Nano-cichlid habitat.

10 Gallon Rift Lake Cichlid Habitat

Working at That Fish Place/That Pet Place, I get a lot of questions regarding what type of African cichlids can be kept in small aquariums – particularly 10 gallon aquariums. Here I will try to answer some of the common questions concerning basic requirements and species specifics.

When a customer asks which cichlids are ok for a 10 gallon tank, I tell them to keep shell dwellers. These fish are from Lake Tanganyika and the majority of them only reach an adult size of 2 to 3 inches in length, though some do grow larger.

Let’s start with the tank itself. A regular 10 gallon glass tank is fine. For substrate, I prefer sand like Carib Sea Aragamax which I mix with Carib Sea Tahitian Moon black sand. The reason for choosing Aragamax is that not only does it help maintain the pH level in the aquarium, but it allows the fish to act naturally and bury their shells. My setup at home consists of a small cave in one corner and the remaining area is sand; into which I add 2 snail shells for each fish. For fish up to 2 inches I like shells the size of a quarter. (Medium turbo or apple shells work nicely.)

Filtration for this tank should be an outside power filter that turns the tank volume over 8 to 10 times an hour. Under gravel filters should be avoided!

The water chemistry in the lake is very hard with a pH of around 9.2. I’ve found from breeding shell dwellers that a pH of 8.4 or higher and a general hardness of at least 10 dkh is best for them.

Before I detail a few of the species, I’d like to share a few things I’ve learned from keeping and breeding these fish:

Weekly water changes: I’ve always done them and always will. 10% is enough to make a difference in health, vigor, and spawns.

Water conditions in my breeding tanks were all the same and were as follows: pH 8.6, General hardness 15+, and temperature 81 degrees.

For feeding; do not feed worms! Bloodworms, black worms, or tubifex. These will kill African cichlids sooner or later. Appropriate food would be any prepared small cichlid flake. They prefer sinking foods, but not necessarily pellets.

Have patience. Breeding shell dwellers is easy. Start out with a group of 5-6 individuals of one species. Don’t move the shells around and don’t add new fish. The fish will reward you for your diligence.

Now let’s detail some of the species that I would recommend for a 10 gallon aquarium. Once again do not mix more than one species per tank.

Lamprologus kungweensis: Adults reach lengths of 2.5 inches with females being slightly smaller than males. An identifiable trait of this species is the golden/yellow mark above each eye that becomes more apparent as they mature. Sexing is not easy there is not much dimorphism. Besides being smaller, the female is lighter in color and less intensely marked.

Lamprologus ocellatus: A stunning 2 inch fish whose name means “eyespot” due to the distinctive spot, outlined in gold, on the fish’s operculum. In addition to the gill cover, the ocellatus has a gold colored iris, a golden cream colored body and clear fins speckled with blue or gold. Sexing is fairly easy; the male’s dorsal fin is edged in an orange/red band while the female’s is clearly paler and often edged in white. Also, mature females are rounded while males are more oblong in shape. The most distinctive feature of a pair is the size difference. Males are almost ½ inch larger than females and the teeth appear larger and more prominent. One of my favorite shell dwellers on the market is the Golden Ocellatus, which has a golden sheen to the whole body.

Lamprologus ornatipinnis: As the name implies, the appeal of this species lies in its ornate fins which are distinctively marked with a series of striations that vary in color from purple to black. While a mature male may reach a total length of 2 inches, the females are ½ inch smaller. The female is also considerably plumper with a metallic purple sheen developing over the abdomen as she comes into breeding condition.

Lamprologus signatus: Another small but striking shellie, males top off at 2 inches, females slightly smaller. L. signatus are more elongate or torpedo shaped than other Lamprologus species. These display clear sexual dimorphism. The flanks of the males are crossed by dark vertical bands that extend through the dorsal to anal fins. The females are drab with only a slight pink hue to their abdomen.

Neolamprologus brevis: At less than 2 ¼ inches N. brevis is a shiny beige color with up to nine silvery-white bands. Iridescent pastel blue striations mark the upper jaw, the cheek, and the anterior third of the body. Females are slightly smaller and show fewer extensions of the pectoral fins.

Neolamprologus boulengeri: Attaining a length of 2 ½ inches, N. boulengeri is an attractively marked shell dweller. In addition to the characteristic blotch pattern across the flanks, they have a yellow/orange margin in the dorsal and anal fins. The upper jaw sports a vivid metallic blue moustache which continues as a thin blue iridescent stripe across the operculum and flank.

Lamprologus meleagris: The so called “lace lamp” or “pearly ocellatus”, L. meleagris is a diminutive silvery/black cichlid that rarely exceeds 2 ½ inches in total length. Its flanks are purplish with a series of irregular pearl like spots that highlight the scales and fins. The throat is silvery with hint of blue; the eye is set off by a bright blue streak behind the orbit. Females are smaller than males and their colors are not as intense, even when breeding.

Neolamprologus multifasciatus: The smallest of the shell dwelling cichlids of Lake Tanganyika. As the name implies, N. multifasciatus has a “many striped” pattern over its body. The edges of the caudal, anal, and dorsal fins are highlighted with bands of yellowish/orange and white. Sexing mature specimens is simple because though the female is marked the same as the male, she is fully grown at under 1 inch, while the male reaches 1 ¼ inch.

Neolamprologus similis: Similar in appearance to N. multifasciatus but with a larger eye and greenish/brown body color and contrasting light green markings. The bands extend further over the forehead of the fish. Adult size is nearly identical to N. multifasciatus as well.

In closing, I would have to say that shellies are the type of cichlid for people who want to keep cichlids but don’t have the room for a larger tank, (especially college students) and their natural breeding behavior is fun to watch. They are a lot of personality packed into a small fish!

I would like to welcome another guest blogger, Lexi Jones. Lexi is one of our staff marine biologists, and a Supervisor in our retail store fish room.

Want to keep Oscars? This popular South American fish has been an aquarium favorite for decades, but keeping them often requires more than a beginner aquarist is prepared for despite their hardy nature. There are many things you must think about before buying these potentially large and high maintenance fish.

Oscars can grow very large, very fast. It is not recommended to keep one Oscar in a tank smaller than 55 gallons, and some say not smaller than 75 gallons! The Oscar can reach an adult size of 14.” How fast they grow depends on water quality, how much you feed your Oscar, and tank size. Keeping them in a smaller tank may stunt their growth, cause deformities, and shorten their lifespan.

Oscars can also become very aggressive and territorial, thus they are best kept alone or with other Oscars in a VERY large tank. However, if you insist on keeping a different species with them, you can try keeping other cichlids of a similar size like Texas cichlids or Jack Dempsey cichlids. Males, in particular, can fight each other for dominance in the aquarium, and it may lead to fatalities.

Oscars need very good filtration, they will put a heavy load on your biological filter. They are messy eaters and create a lot of fish waste. Please avoid undergravel filters; these can not handle the waste Oscars produce and create even more water quality issues. Large power filters or canisters are the best options. Partial water changes (at least 25% every 2-4 weeks) will also help keep the tank cleaner and keep the nitrates to a minimum. Testing the water quality once a week is recommended. The pH range for Oscars is be between 6.5 and 7.5; however, for success the pH must remain stable. Ammonia and nitrite readings should be zero, and nitrates should be as low as possible. The temperature that Oscars prefer is between 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, so a heater is a must.

So, what can you feed your Oscar? They will eat pretty much anything that will fit in their mouth, but this is not healthy for them. To keep them healthy it best to feed them a variety of flake, pellet, and frozen foods. They come in various sizes for your baby Oscar or a full grown adult. Good choices include: Spectrum pellet foods, mysis shrimp, krill, beef heart, bloodworms, and night crawlers. We recommend not feeding live foods as a primary food source for your Oscars. Feeder goldfish can carry parasites and diseases, and are not a complete source of nutrition. Your oscars may appreciate a live treat on occasion, but ghost shimp or mollies may be better options.

Keep in mind that Oscars may look cute when they are little, but they can double or triple their size in a matter of months. Therefore, they absolutely need a large tank to be healthy and happy. Providing a large home from the beginning is much better than continuously moving them from tank to tank.

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